Police officer among two fatally shot in Houston

Tuesday

HOUSTON - A traffic stop turned into a fatal shooting on Christmas Eve when a gunman killed a police officer and bystander in the parking lot of a Houston body shop, police said.

The confrontation followed a chase that began shortly before 9 a.m. Monday when the suspect sped off in his car rather than pull over as an officer had requested, Houston police spokesman John Cannon said. As the suspect fled, he sideswiped a white truck, which also took off after him, he said.

The suspect and the white truck eventually pulled into a nearby Maaco body shop, where Bellaire Police Department Cpl. Jimmie Norman approached the vehicle. Cannon said an argument apparently erupted, and the suspect pulled out a .380 caliber handgun and shot Norman.

"The saddest thing is that the officer, who is deceased, didn't have the opportunity to pull his weapon and defend himself," Cannon said. "It happened that fast."

A man then walked out of the body shop, and the suspect shot him, Cannon said.

Other officers arrived at the scene, where they found Norman lying on the ground and the suspect next to him, holding a gun, he said.

"They are immediately fired upon, and those two officers then returned fire," Cannon said.

The suspect was shot but fled on foot, Cannon said. He hid under a parked truck, but officers followed a trail of blood and arrested him.

Norman, 53, worked for the Bellaire Police Department for 23 years and was the first of its officers to be shot in the line of duty, Bellaire police spokesman Robert Beran said.

"We're devastated by his loss. We're devastated by what this has done to his family," Bellaire Police Chief Byron Holloway told reporters at a news conference.

The identities of the bystander and suspect have not yet been released.

The parking lot of the body shop remained cordoned off with yellow police tape hours after the shootings. Officers milled around, collecting evidence and discussing the incident. The owners of a nearby auto parts store closed up early for Christmas, although other stores in the strip mall remained open as people rushed in for last-minute holiday errands.

Stephanie Pacheco, who works at the auto parts store, said she saw the officer get out of his patrol car in the parking lot next door and approach the driver. The officer opened the suspect's car door and tried to pull him out, she told the Houston Chronicle.

That's when the suspect opened fire, she said. The officer fell down, and the suspect continued firing shots in other directions, Pacheco said.

"This is senseless, ridiculous and needs to stop," Pacheco said. "I'm tired of seeing people die. It's a sad thing."

The bystander was shot at close range and died at the scene, Cannon said. It wasn't clear why the man stepped outside the body shop or whether he was an employee or a customer, he added. Norman was rushed to a hospital and died there.

The suspect was in critical but stable condition at a Houston hospital. Cannon said he is expected to survive.

Houston and Bellaire police and the Harris County District Attorney's office are investigating. Cannon said the suspect likely would face a multitude of charges, including capital murder of a police officer.

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